New Favorite Recipes

I thought I would share a few new recipes that I have been utilizing the last few weeks. The Muffin Frittatas are a great standby breakfast and provides no excuses as to why the most important meal of the day or any other meal should be skipped or unhealthy. I know I love peanut butter and the spread below is a great way to cut the calories, but still get the flavor we are after. The sorbet is the perfect replacement for puddings, jellos, ice cream, or other calorie laden or preservative filled treats.
Enjoy without guilt!

MUFFIN Frittatas

Whip up a batch of these creamy, delicious frittatas for easy grab-and-go breakfasts, or eat them as appetizers or a high-quality snack. They're so easy to make ahead, freeze and reheat that, you almost can't go wrong! Prep time is just 10 minutes. For a lighter option, use reduced-fat cheese.

6 eggs
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (4 ounces)
3/4 cup chopped zucchini
l/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
2 tablespoons chopped red onion
1/2 cup milk
l/4 teaspoon (tsp) salt
1/8 tsp pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Beat eggs, milk, salt and pepper in medium bowl until blended. Add cheese,zucchini, bell pepper and onion; mix well. Spoon evenly into 12 lightly sprayed muffin cups, about l/i cup each. Bake until just set, 20-22 minutes. Cool on rack 5 minutes. Remove from cups and serve warm. Makes 12 mini frittatas.

Per Serving (2 mini frittatas): 164 calories; 11 grams (g) fat; 296 mg sodium; 3 g carbohydrate; 0 g dietary fiber; 12 g protein

 

PEANUTTY SPREAD

Yield: 6 cups; 12 (2-tablespoon) servings

Blending creamy peanut butter with silky tofu cuts the calories and fat by nearly two-thirds. Ifs the perfect high-protein snack whether spread on a whole grain cracker or used as a dip for apple slices or raw veggies. And one dollop makes a wickedly good topping for your favorite fat-free chocolate pudding...

 
1 cup silky tofu, drained (about 9 ounces)
3 cup peanut butter
4 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons lime juice

Place the tofu, peanut butter, honey, and lime juice in a blender or a food processor. Blend or process until smooth. Add a few teaspoons of water if necessary. Store in the refrigerator.

Nutrient Analysis per serving

80 calories; 5 g protein; 4 g carbohydrates; 5 g total fat; 1 g saturated fat; 1 g polyunsaturated fat; 3 g monounsaturated fat; 0 mg cholesterol; 1 g fiber; 36 mg sodium

EASY RASPBERRY SORBET

Yield: 4 servings

Not being able to cook  is no excuse to not make this simple treat. The sky's the limit for flavor possibilities because you can use different berries or fruits, such as peaches or mango.

 

2 cups frozen raspberries (or other frozen fruit)
3 tablespoons apple juice or orange juice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon or vanilla extract (optional)
Fresh mint leaves
 
Place the fruit, juice, and cinnamon or vanilla, if using, in a blender or a food processor. Blend or process until smooth, scraping down the sides of the container as necessary. Add extra juice if needed. Best if served immediately, although it can be frozen. Garnish with fresh mint.

Nutrient Analysis per serving
37 calories; 1 g protein; 9 g carbohydrates; 0 g total fat; 0 g saturated fat; 0 g
polyunsaturated fat; 0 g monounsaturated fat; 0 mg cholesterol; 4 g fiber; 1 mg
sodium

What the Trainer Eats

One of my clients thought is would be helpful to share the top three things I eat for breakfast, snacks, lunch, and dinner. So here they are:

 My schedule is a little different in that I eat a lighter breakfast before I go and train my morning clients around 5:00 AM and then I eat a more heartier breakfast at around 8:00.

Breakfast #1:

• Smoothie (2 scoops Arbonne Protein Powder, 1 cup almond milk, ¾ cup frozen fruit)
• 1 cup Dannon plain Greek yogurt, 2 T wheat germ, ¾ cup fruit (cherries, berries, peaches, ect)
• 1 piece Ezekial Bread, 2 tb peanut butter, drizzled with honey and a banana  (this is for when I am running late)

 Breakfast #2:

• 1 cup Tosca Reno’s Hot Morning Cereal
• 3 egg omelet made with mushrooms, peppers, onions and low fat mozzarella cheese
• 2 hardboiled eggs, 2 tbs salsa, sautéed mushrooms, onions, and spinach

Lunch

• Spinach Salad with pecans and dried cherries with balsamic vinaigrette dressing
• 2 cups butternut Squash, ½ cup black beans, ¼ mozzarella cheese
• Home made tuna salad on Ezekiel bread with an orange

Snack

• ½ cup low fat Cottage Cheese with ¼ of avocado
•  Homemade protein bar (contact me for the recipe) and apple, pear, or orange  (this is perfect for when I am on the go)
• 5 dates and a handful of dry roasted almonds

Dinner

• Baked cod (garlic, olive oil, lemon) with sautéed broccoli and mushrooms
• Roasted vegetables (carrots, parsnips, turnips, sweet potatoes with olive oil and rosemary) either cottage cheese or Grilled salmon
• Homemade Turkey burgers (see recipe) with steamed carrots or green beans

Homemade Turkey Burgers Recipe

Serves 12  (great for freezing)

3 lb lean ground turkey

¼ cup oatmeal

¼ cup fresh basil, minced

2 egg whites, beaten

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

cooking spray

1 cup low- calorie marinara sauce

2 tbs. parmesan cheese, grated

In large bowl, combine turkey, oatmeal, basil, onion, egg whites, garlic, salt and pepper until well mixed. Form 12 patties. Freeze what you will not use right away. After you grill the burgers top with a few spoonfuls of marinara sauce and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Nutrition:

206 calories, 31 g protein, 3g fat, 15 g carbs, 3 g fiber,  557 mg sodium

Smoothie Recipes

Many of use are so focused on cutting things out we forget to add healthy foods with antioxidants back in. Smoothies are a great way to do this. They can be used for breakfast, mid morning snack, right after exercise, or even an evening snack. There are so many options for ways to make smoothies it just takes finding your favorites and having the items around to make them.

Here are a few of my favorites that hit all different taste buds:

Banana/ Peanut Butter

2 scoops chocolate protein powder
1 cup almond or coconut milk
1 tbsp natural peanut butter
1 small banana 

Sunrise Smoothie

1        cup almond or coconut milk
1 banana
1/3 cup draned canned apricot halves
2 tbs orange juice
2 tsp toasted wheat germ
1 tsp vanilla extract

Tangy Cherry-berry Sipper

1 cup ice cubes
1/2 cup sliced strawberries*
½ cup pitted halved cherries*
½ cup lowfat plain greek yogurt
2        tsp ground flaxseed
¾ tsp vanilla extract

* I use frozen fruit when cherries and strawberries are not in season. If you use frozen you don’t necessarily need ice.

 Nutty Apple Cinnamon

2 scoops vanilla protein powder
1 cup almond milk or coconut milk
¼ cup apple sauce or ½ apple
cinnamon to taste
1 tbsp raw pecans or raw almonds slivered

NOTE:All of the above recipes can be thicker by adding more ice or thinner by adding water or more milk.

Enjoy! 

Barley and Mushrooms and Root Veggie Medley

I had many individuals request some recipes. There are a few of my favorites that I have made the last week. The funny thing is they are actually recipes from cookbooks for my 9 month old.

Barley and Mushroom

 Ingredients:

1 cup Pearl Barley
2 tbsp butter
2 garlic cloves minced
12 oz cremini mushrooms finely chopped
2 cups low sodium broth
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
½ tsp dried thyme

Directions:

• In a dry saucepan over medium heat, toast barley, stirring often, until it starts to brown (about 3 minutes). Transfer to a mixing bowl.
• In same saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add garlic and cook until aromatic (about 1 minute). Stir in mushrooms and cook until they release their liquid and become tender (about 3 mintues). Stir in barley, stock, ½ cup water, salt, pepper, and thyme. Bring to boil over high heat, reduce heat to medium low, cover, and simmer until barley is tender (30-35 minutes).

Root Veggie Medley

 Ingredients:

2 sweet potatoes or yams
4 parsnips
4 carrots
4 Tbsp extra- virgin olive oil
4 tsp minced fresh rosemary
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper

 Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peal sweet potatoes, parsnips, and carrots. Slice veggies into rounds ½ inch thick. Cut sweet potatoes rounds into quarters or as needed to match the size of the parsnips and carrots.
• Put veggies in a ceramic or glass baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with rosemary, salt, pepper, and toss to coat.  Roast until vegetables are tender (20-30 minutes)

Adapted from Cooking for Baby: Wholesome, homemade, delicious, foods for 6 to 18 months by Lisa Barnes