by Lucy | Mar 24, 2019 | Recipes and Meal Ideas
Dessert for breakfast? Veggies for breakfast!? As a dietitian, I get equally excited about both! And I think you will be excited too when you try this delicious morning treat.
If you want to start your day with a nourishing breakfast that is ready in no time, look no further. Simply make up a batch of these one night and have breakfast for the next 2-3 days.
Carrot cake overnight oats offer fiber, protein, healthy fat, complex carbs, and phytonutrients. In other words, it’s a breakfast that you can feel really good about.
If you like a warm breakfast like me, just slowly heat your oats up in the microwave (or on the stove if you have more time) right before eating.
Feeling fancy? Garnish with your favorite Greek yogurt and a few more raisins. I’ve also put granola or nuts on top to add a fun crunch.
- 2/3 cup oats old fashion
- 1/4 cup chia seeds
- 1/2 cup carrots shredded
- 2 cups almond milk unsweetened
- 2 tsp maple syrup
- 3 tbs raisins
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp allspice
Combine all ingredients into a glass jar with lid (pint size or bigger), secure lid, and shake vigorously to mix well.
Place in refrigerate for up to 4 days.
When ready to eat, stir contents of jar well, and pour half of oat mixture into a bowl.
Microwave for 20-30 seconds at a time if a warm oatmeal is desired.
Optional: top with a dollop of plain or vanilla Greek yogurt and/or chopped nuts.
by Lucy | Feb 27, 2019 | Recipes and Meal Ideas
Assemble a salad-in-a-jar and you will thank yourself for it! During a busy week, you can easily grab your salad, dump into a bowl and start enjoying it in minutes.
Putting the salad in a glass jar with an airtight lid ensures it stays fresh for several days. Just be sure to keep your dressing away from your greens by layering your ingredients carefully.
There are many salad variations, but here is one from one of our Meal Prep Workshops that our clients love. It’s sweet, tangy, and satisfying.
If you are looking to complete your meal with a bit more protein, you can easily add more protein-rich foods such as tofu, boiled eggs, chicken or fish. These items are best kept out of the jar and added to the salad right before eating. If you have berries on hand, they go well on top of the salad also.
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice or juice of one lemon
- 1/2 teaspoon thyme dried
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoon maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 small red onion chopped and divided in half
- 1 large orange peeled, chopped, and divided in half
- 5 cups mixed greens
- 2 oz goat cheese
- 2 tablespoons dried cranberries
- 2 Tablespoons chopped nuts
To make the dressing, combine the first 9 ingredients in a small bowl and mix thoroughly.
Pour half of the dressing in 2 large wide-mouth mason jars.
Add 1/2 chopped onion and orange slices into each jar.
Add 2.5 cups mixed greens to each jar.
Top each salad with 1 oz goat cheese, 1 Tbsp chopped nuts, and 1 Tbsp dried cranberries.
Close with airtight lid and store upright in the refrigerator for up to 5-days.
For additional protein, add grilled chicken, fish, boiled eggs or tofu.
by Lucy | Dec 13, 2018 | Recipes and Meal Ideas
- 1/4 cup organic oats
- 1/4 cup almond flour
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup dates pitted
- 1/4 cup coconut flakes optional
Mix all ingredients, minus dates, into a food processor and blend into a fine flour consistency.
Add 1/2 dates* into food processor and chop until thoroughly combined. Repeat with remaining dates until mixture becomes like a thick dough. *Add water, as needed, for a sticky dough-like texture
Form dough into bite size balls. Sprinkle with coconut flakes (optional) and serve.
Store leftovers in air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
by Lucy | Dec 13, 2018 | Recipes and Meal Ideas
- 1 small bunch green grapes
- 1-2 ripe bananas
- 1 pint strawberries
- Yogurt raisins or mini marshmallows
- Toothpicks
Prepare ingredients:
Wash & remove grapes from the stem.
Slice banana into 1/4 inch round slices.
Wash strawberries and remove the green top.
To assemble:
Start by sticking 1 yogurt raisin on the tip of the toothpick
Next slide the strawberry on the toothpick (top faced down)
Then add 1 banana slice
Finally, add the green grape to complete the Grinch.
Enjoy with friends or family at your next holiday party!
by Lucy | Dec 17, 2017 | Recipes and Meal Ideas
I will never forget it. It was my first time entering in a chili cook-off and also my first time to make chili. Luckily, it was a friendly competition among a small group of medical residents that we hung out with at the time. My family didn’t eat chili often growing up so I didn’t have a signature recipe that was passed on to me. I had to just try something completely new.
I was inspired by Emeril Lagasse’s vegetarian chili because I had never seen a chili made with so many vegetables. I didn’t need it to be vegetarian though, so I replaced the mushrooms with ground turkey. Perfect, I thought. Healthy and delicious. It was Emeril’s recipe after all, what can go wrong? So, I brought my very veggie chili to the cook-off and crossed my fingers, hoping it had a chance.
The judges were harsh, but funny and gave everyone’s chili a name. My chili earned the title: Milli Vanilli Chili. They said it looked pretty, but it turned out to be a “fake.” And for three reasons. One that was their mistake and two that were mine.
First of all, they thought the ground turkey was couscous, perhaps because it was finely crumbled or that I used 99% lean – which I don’t do anymore. Either way, it definitely wasn’t couscous.
Secondly, I left out the oh-so-important garnishes and spices that I didn’t realize were so key at the time. Now, I NEVER leave out the cilantro, green onions, and Greek yogurt. Those just make it complete!
Lastly, because of my preference, it lacked the heat that those serrano peppers would have added and that most of the other chilis had at the cook-off. If you like spicy chili – you will still love this one – just add some peppers with more heat or kick up the cayenne pepper a notch.
It may not have been a winner for the judges that day, but my family loved it. So much so that it’s now a family favorite. I’ve been perfecting it for six years, and we still call it Milli Vanilli Chili. =) It’s warming, delicious and nutritious! It looks pretty, AND it tastes good. No fake stuff here! If you are in the market for a healthy weeknight dinner that makes perfect lunch leftovers, you’ve got to try this!
- 1 lb lean ground turkey 85-93% lean
- 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 2 to 3 bell peppers stemmed, seeded, and chopped
- 1 medium zucchini stem ends trimmed and cut into small dice
- 2 cups fresh corn kernels or 1 can of corn no added sugar or salt
- 1 1/2 pounds portobello mushrooms about 5 large, stemmed, wiped clean and cubed
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
- 4 large tomatoes peeled, seeded and chopped
- 3 cups cooked black beans or canned beans (low sodium, no added sugar), rinsed and drained
- 1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 cup lower sodium vegetable stock no added sugar, or water
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Garnish for each bowl
- 1 oz Plain Greek yogurt garnish
- ? medium avocado diced, garnish
- 2 tablespoons chopped green onions garnish
- 1 oz Mild cheddar cheese optional garnish
In a large, heavy pot, brown turkey, onions, garlic, and bell peppers, and cook, stirring, until meat is browned completely. Add the zucchini, corn, and mushrooms, and cook, stirring, until soft and the vegetables give off their liquid and start to brown around the edges, about 6 minutes. Add the chili powder, cumin, salt and cayenne, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and stir well. Add the beans, tomato sauce, and vegetable stock, stir well, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes.
Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro. Adjust the seasoning, to taste.
To serve, ladle the chili into the bowls. Top each serving with a dollop (~1oz) of yogurt and spoonful of avocado. Sprinkle with green onions (and optional 1 oz cheddar cheese) and dig in!
For lower sodium, calories and fat content, do not add the cheddar cheese. This saves you 111 calories and reduces the sodium by 182mg.
Nutrition Facts Per Serving:
calories 403
Total Fat 19g
Saturated Fat 7 g
Monounsaturated Fat 3 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 78 mg
Sodium 903 mg
Potassium 926 mg
Total Carbohydrate 34 g
Dietary Fiber 10 g
Sugars 17 g
Protein 33 g
Vitamin A 92 % Vitamin C 145 % Calcium 32 % Iron 20 %
by Lucy | Sep 8, 2017 | Recipes and Meal Ideas
Want a fun way to fill half your plate with vegetables? Look no further! Spaghetti squash appears boring on the outside, but on the inside resembles thin spaghetti noodles once cooked. It’s slightly crunchy and very mild in flavor making it perfect for sauces, seasonings, and add-ins. This recipe brought to you by our lovely intern, Wendy, is an excellent example of how it can be jazzed up with your favorite flavors.
Spaghetti squash is in season now. It contains 40 calories and 7 grams of carbohydrate in each cup. So go ahead, enjoy nature’s noodle! If you have never cooked spaghetti squash before you might find these tips for preparing it helpful.
- 3 chicken breasts cooked and shredded
- 1 cup low-fat buttermilk
- 1 cup buffalo wing sauce
- ½ cup finely diced carrot
- ¼ cup finely diced celery
- ¼ cup finely diced red onion
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1 cup shredded low-fat mozzarella
- ½ cup blue cheese crumbles
- 1 large spaghetti squash
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
TO PREPARE SPAGHETTI SQUASH:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
With a sharp knife carefully poke a few small slits in the squash skin; poke in a dotted line along where you plan to slice the squash in half. Then microwave squash 4 minutes and let cool slightly.
Cut the spaghetti squash in half, scrape out the seeds, and place on a baking sheet cut side down. Roast for 45 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees
When cool enough to hold, scrape the squash out of the skin into a large bowl.
TO PREPARE THE BUFFALO SAUCE
Mince the garlic
Finely dice the carrot, celery, and onion
Heat olive oil in a pan and sauté the vegetables and garlic for about 5 minutes, until they become soft.
Stir in the cooked chicken, buttermilk, and buffalo sauce. Stir to combine. Turn the heat down to low.
Stir in ½ cup of the mozzarella cheese and mix to combine.
FINISH UP BY MIXING THE TWO:
Combine chicken and vegetable mixture with cooked spaghetti squash in a 9x13 baking dish. Top with the remaining mozzarella and blue cheese
Bake, covered with foil, for about 25 minutes.
Remove the foil and continue baking for another 15 minutes, until the entire dish is slightly bubbly and the cheese is starting to brown.
Let cool before serving.
