My "Cleaner" Version of Chinese Food

If you're like me, you love Chinese Food.  I could literally eat it everyday.  And I kind of do actually. I've mentioned several times how much I love these eggroll wrappers.  Well I do.  Like I've said, they are so versatile and easy to make.  This creation was one of my first times actually working with rice noodles, and I have to say I loved them!  They only take 10 minutes to prepare.  Super easy. Super good. And totally not bad for you at all like other noodles can be.  These rice noodles can be prepared more of an Asian style, like below, or I also prepared your standard pesto sauce(garlic, basil, oil, lemon, and salt n pepper) and topped them off with that one night too for a quick side to our usual vegetables.  If you have noticed, we eat a lot of broccoli.  I mean ALOT. :)   

 

 

This is one meal that will not disappoint.  It's much healthier than any nasty, germ infested Chinese buffet you will find yourself at.  Not to mention how much you will totally over eat at any buffet. I've been there, I know. 

Ready for the recipe? :)

Ingredients for noodle & vegetable medley:

1/2 box of rice noodles was plenty for Aaron and me(and Soph had a small portion too). So an entire box will feed about a family of 4-5
1 head of broccoli
3 carrots sliced
2 cups of shredded red cabbage
1-2 tbsp. of sunflower oil
4 green onions finely chopped- as a garnish
1 tsp. of soy sauce per person(low sodium)**this is not a "clean" food item I know, but my blog is about eating "cleaner" just to clarify
1 tsp. of garlic powder
1 tsp. of onion powder
2 tsp. of honey

For the noodles, just boil 6 cups of water, add noodles and set aside.  Let noodles sit for 5 or so minutes or until soft. Easy. Done.
For the veggies, sauté in the sunflower oil, season as listed. I cook my vegetables for about 15 minutes or until slightly softened. Easy. Breezy.
For this recipe, if you are needing some protein, you could boil an egg and chop up as a garnish and it'd be delicious.

Ingredients for the eggrolls:
4 eggroll wrappers
2 cups of shredded cabbage
1/2 cup of shredded/diced onion
1/2 cup of shredded carrots
1 tsp. of ginger powder
1 tbsp. of onion powder
1 tbsp. of garlic powder
1/2 tsp. of salt
1/2 tsp. of pepper
*A lot of times, I will add a dash of sraracha to this too :)

For the eggrolls:  Put all vegetables and seasoning together in a non-stick pan with a tsp. of sunflower oil. Sautee until soft (about 15 minutes). Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes before loading up the eggroll wrappers.  Now, in the same pan, put about a tbsp. of sunflower oil in it, and c cook the eggrolls on each side until brown.  As I've said before(because I have already posted these eggrolls), I pair ours with a serving size(1 tbsp.) of red chili sauce.  It's a must.  My husband will top his off with honey once and while. That's pretty delicious too!

 

This entire "cleaner" version of Chinese food is under 600 calories!!

Not too shabby when you consider going to a Chinese buffet will set you back on average 2000 calories! Yes. I Googled it! ha-ha.  Not to mention it's crazy expensive if you have a family of more than 2 people! This whole meal will only set you back the cost of one buffet. :) Enjoy!

Nutritional Values: 
Rice noodles with Vegetables: 340 calories, 0.5 grams of fat
Eggrolls: 220 calories with sauce 1, g of fat

Any questions? Leave a comment in the comment box to the right of this post! Cheers~Amanda

Cleaner Chocolate Chip PB Pizza-what??!!

This one might just take the prize!!

Yes.  It's true.  I have created a true masterpiece with this one.  It was 100% by accident too.  I was simply trying to get rid of the last 2 whole grain tortillas before they started to spoil.  They are preservative free, so I knew I had only a matter of a day or so until they ruin.  I had a light lunch, as usual, which allows me to have a dessert after :) I love this! If I could have it my way,  I would only eat sweets to survive.  Today's creation is a "cleaner" version of a chocolate chip peanut butter pizza.  Can I get a what what?

It's quite simple actually.  I wish we had smell-o-cam or something so you can smell my house right now too. Amazing! 

Ok.  I used the same tortillas that I posted about in the previous "Cleaner Chicken Chimichanga" blog.

2 tortillas(120 Calories)

I added in a small bowl:

1 tbsp. of coconut oil-melted (120 calories)
1 tbsp. of honey-50 calories
1 tbsp. of cinnamon

Mix that up and spread across 2 tortillas.  If you are doing 1 tortilla, cut everything in half.  If you are doing more than 2 increase ingredients as you see fit.

Bake at 350 for 12 minutes or until crispy, but don't burn it.  Watch it.

The toppings:
2 tbsp. of PB2 mixed with 2 tbsp. of water(45 calories)
1 tbsp. of chocolate chips-60% cacao (80 calories)

Mix the PB2 mixture, spread across tortillas.
Add your chocolate chips
Bake again for 1-2 minutes just to melt the chocolate.  Done!!

This is some serious goodness!

For both "pizzas" it comes in at only 415 calories.  So, limit yourself to 1 "pizza" and remain guilt free.  I am feeling a tad bit guilty at the moment because I ate 2 of these babies! Yes, 2! Glad I only had a small bowl of vegetable soup for lunch!
Enjoy these people! They are absolutely fantastic!

Cleaner Creamy Pesto Lasagna Rolls

Tonight I decided to finish off that box of lasagna noodles and do some experimenting with sauces.  Making sauces is one area I know I need to branch out in.  I usually stick with your classic tomato based, oil and garlic base or just your plain ole roux based sauce.  Tonight I wanted to do something different than the plain ole pesto I usually make.  Now, when I wasn't eating clean or cleaner I should say, I would use the amazing product cream cheese to make my creamy pesto. Oh how I love cream cheese! Who doesn't? You can make cheesecake, cheese balls, creamy pesto, or just eat it plain.  I can anyway.  Ok, enough about that fatty nasty food.  See what I did there?

Anyways, tonight I decided to experiment with avocado as my "cream cheese" in my pesto.  I know there is a lot of recipes out there that do this sort of thing.  Point is, I never have.  I've never even thought of it honestly until I started back on this cleaner living journey that we are on.  Like I've said before, we use to go all the way "clean" and would fail within 2-3 weeks.  This "cleaner" eating lifestyle is much easier to maintain.  It is still a lifestyle change for a lot of people, but we are use to these foods.  Ok, enough chatter. 

Ready for the recipe?

Ready for some delicious looking photos that I know will force you into rushing out to the grocery store to make this recipe?  If you made my lasagna from the previous blog, you should have 6-7 whole grain lasagna noodles left.  You should also have about a cup of cottage cheese left if you made the lasagna. Don't throw it out yet!  Pull those babies out.  Here is your opportunity to not waste and get the most bang for your buck. 

Hopefully the photo
is enough to peak your interest into reading the rest of this blog and keep you coming back for more.  It truly is a very tasty and filling meal.

Ingredients:

6 lasagna noodles (whole grain) cooked
4 garlic cloves minced
1 cup of non fat cottage cheese
1/2 cup of skim milk shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup of fresh basil leaves chopped
1 shallot (optional)
1 tbsp. of sunflower oil (or oil of choice)
1 tsp. of salt
1 cup of fresh spinach
1 avocado
1 tbsp. of lemon juice(fresh)
1 tbsp. of dry oregano
1 tbsp. of dry basil
1 tsp. of pepper
(I happened to have some green onions-3, so I threw those in too)
1/4 cup of hot water


Directions:
1st preheat your oven to 350.

Like stated in the ingredients, cook your 6 lasagna noodles.  This recipe can easily be expanded into more lasagna rolls. Just simply use more noodles.  And increase the ingredients as you see fit.  I will say that I had about 1/2 a cup of extra sauce left over.

In a medium bowl, stir together the cottage cheese, 2 minced raw garlic cloves, half of the mozzarella, salt, pepper, dry oregano, & dry basil.

In a small pan, mince your shallot and 2 cloves of the garlic and sauté until soft (about 5 minutes) on medium heat.  Don't burn it or cook until brown, just soften the two.

Now, in a food processor, take the avocado, pit it and scoop it out of the shell, throw it in.  Add the fresh basil, 1 tbsp. of lemon juice, 1/4 cup of hot water, sunflower oil, the sautéed shallot and garlic, and the green onions if you chose to use them.  Process until smooth and creamy.  Done!

Now, take your noodles, lay them out on a clean surface(I used a cookie sheet).  Have your casserole dish sitting next to you ready to put the rolled lasagna noodles in. Ok? Now, Spoon a little of the cottage cheese mixture on each noodle until all the mixture is distributed evenly over each noodle.  Add the fresh raw spinach on top of each noodle.  Now, roll the noodles up in a pinwheel.  They should stick together just fine, but if they don't just stick a toothpick in them to hold them. 
Once you get them all rolled up, throw them in the oven for about 15 minutes.

Before:

 

After:

Once they are done, pull them out and ladle the sauce over each lasagna roll.  Top with the remaining 1/4 cup of mozzarella cheese and dig in!



 

I paired our creamy pesto lasagna rolls with a fresh tomato, red onion, and cucumber salad dressed with a little balsamic vinegar.

And "steamed" broccoli.  This is my cheater way of lightly cooking broccoli.  Just put your vegetable in enough water to cover it, and microwave in a porcelain or glass bowl for 5 minutes. Done! Easy Breezy.  Be easy on yourself sometimes :)

Finished product.  I also steamed an artichoke because they are our favorite to pair with any meal.  Like all the recipes I post, I encourage you to branch out and try this one.  It is absolutely delicious! 

This entire plate of food comes in at about 400 calories.  You can't beat that.  Once you finish this goodness, sit back and enjoy yourself one of the oat chocolate chip cookies I gave you a recipe for! :)
Cheers! ~Amanda

Food for a day. By Amanda Rice

Hey everyone! I was told today that I am looking thinner and great!  Just like any woman, that was sweet music to my ears!  If you know me, you know I am a mother to a 17 month old.  And like most mommy's I still have some unwanted fat on my body.  Who am I kidding, even women without kids can relate to that right?  Then I'm asked "How did you do it?" or "What do you eat all day?".   Well to make it easy, I'll just tell you what I ate today.  How's that? This is an example of my daily life. 

I'll start by telling you that currently, right now at 8:36 p.m., I am thoroughly enjoying some raw pecans, 70% cacao chocolate chips and dried cranberries.  This is a fantastic and healthy snack.  I eat this throughout the day as well.  Now, in moderation people! I'm having like 10 chocolate chips, 10-15 cranberries and about 10 pecans, about twice daily.  You can still have these sweet treats in doses.

Anyhow.  I started today with a bowl of plain, non-fat Greek yogurt with apple skins(because Sophie snatches my apple), and pecans.

Pretty delicious photo right?  Now, a lot of people can't take the tart taste of plain Greek yogurt, and I get that.  However, the options available that are flavored do contain some "not so clean" ingredients.  A lot of them have hidden nasty sweeteners.  So, with that said, I encourage you to buy the plain and sweeten it yourself with some good ole raw honey. Please? ok thanks!

Ok.  That's breakfast.  Usually about two or so hours later I will have either a couple of oat chocolate chip cookies (check my previous blog for recipe) or maybe a piece of fruit. 

For lunch today, I had leftover lasagna that I made on Sunday.  Again, I will remind you that that glorious lasagna is under 180 calories per serving.  And it's a healthy amount too. I'd say about 6 inches long and 3 inches wide are the measurements of the portion I eat. Yes, 180 calories!
(check previous blog for that recipe!)

Now for dinner, I made us a big hearty veggie plate(like most nights).  Tonight's consisted of sautéed purple cabbage, fresh green beans, broccoli, quinoa, caramelized onions and two eggrolls.  This entire meal comes up to be about 400 calories and no fats.

Make cooking easy on yourself.  Throw all that you can in one pan! 
I happen to have this huge non-stick pan that my lovely parents got me for Christmas one year. I use it so much!!  I sautéed these veggies for about 10-15 minutes with just a tablespoon of sunflower oil. Easy breezy people! I season them with garlic powder and a dash of salt. 
 

 

Nothing fancy.  Just a good veggie plate with some quinoa and a tablespoon of red chili sauce to dip my eggrolls in.

 

I know there's nothing fancy about this blog post.  I just wanted to simply state that this is what a day of food looks like for me.  Again, I make the cookies that I posted above to snack on.  I eat about 3 a day.  I also make hummus and eat it with veggies if I need a snack.  But after calculating before I began this post, I consume about 1200 calories a day.  I am not hungry.  In those 1200 calories, I maximize every single one of them by eating whole foods.  No empty calories.  Just eat food that will fill you up and keep you full longer!  It's really that simple.  Honestly, it's all about dedication and knowledge about the foods you are putting into your body.  There is a lot of truth to the statement, "You are what you eat".  We truly are!

Thanks everyone for your support! This blog is so much fun for me.  Since becoming a mom, I have been so wrapped up in focusing all of my attention on Sophie, which is great!! But it is nice to have something that is just MINE! And I really appreciate you all taking the time to make a girl feel special and reading it.  Cheers! Amanda

Chicken "Chimichanga's" *Cleaner version*

Today's post is one you will NOT believe is diet friendly.  Like all recipes I post, this is truly an authentic Amanda creation.  I mentioned in a previous blog that I love eggroll wrappers. I love them.  We have a great relationship and I use almost a 20 pack of them weekly.  At only 170 calories for three eggroll wrappers, they are diet friendly, gluten free for those who care, nonfat and have 7 grams of protein.  Yes. It's true.  Anyways, once I discovered this glorious food item, I began doing tons of experiments with them.  I make your standard vegetable eggroll almost daily...why not?  But I went deeper than that. I created the best killer chicken chimichanga around.  I promise. :)  And again, as always, I encourage you to try this recipe.  I beg of you actually.  Are you ready? Ok.

This meal is a staple in our house.  I make it at least 2-3 times a month. 

I'm gonna give you a picture first to make sure I keep your attention!

Do I have your attention now? How delicious does that look?  Yes.  This is one of our absolute favorites and it's easy breezy! I promise!  This entire meal will take about 45 minutes to prepare, so set aside some time.

Ingredients for the chimichanga's:

1 Chicken Breast will make 4 Chimichanga's.  So plan according to how many you are making.
1/2 cup of black beans or about half a can if you are using canned.(no matter if you're using canned or cooking from dry, drain and rinse the beans.)
1/4 cup of corn(optional-I had some left from Soph munching on it as a snack)
1/2 cup of shredded skim milk mozzarella
1/4 cup of salsa or rotel
2 tbsp. of chopped cilantro (optional-I happened to have some, so..)
1 tbsp. of chopped garlic
1 tsp. of chili powder
1 tsp. of garlic powder
1 tsp. of onion powder
1 tsp. of salt
1/2 tsp. of pepper (or to taste)
And of course 4 eggroll wrappers(again, this is a recipe I use to make 4 chimichanga's)

Directions:
1st cook your chicken.  Once done, shred it up.  Then add your beans, corn, salsa, garlic, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder and salt and pepper.  Cook together for about 10 or so minutes on medium low just to "marry" the ingredients.
On the side, get your eggroll wrappers ready by laying them out and sprinkling your mozzarella evenly on the 4 wrappers.  Also if you are using cilantro, add this to the eggroll wrapper now.  Once the filling has cooled for about 10 minutes, add the chicken & vegetable mix to the eggroll wrapper and follow the wrapping instructions as it states on the package.
Now, it a non stick pan, put a tbsp. of sunflower oil(or whatever you like to use) and cook each side until golden brown.  Just about 2 minutes or so on each side.  That's it! Then you have your "cleaner" version of a chicken chimichanga!! I expect tons of thank you emails for this one! :)

 

 I mean come on...How can you not try these??

 

Need more proof??

As you see, we paired our chimichanga's with a guacamole salad.  My recipe is simple.  Avocado, minced garlic, salt and pepper, cumin and lemon juice. I am not a fan of chunky guac, so this is my recipe.

And a dipping sauce of salsa. You can't go wrong with that! Now, these tortilla chips you see are baked whole wheat, organic tortillas.  Picture will follow.  I brushed them with sunflower oil and put a little garlic powder on them and baked them at 350 for about 8 minutes, or until crispy.  Keep an eye on these.  8 pretty good size chips are 120 calories and 0 fat.

I highly recommend this brand if you have a whole foods near you.  They are preservative free.  This allows them to maintain that "cleaner" reputation I am looking for.

I seriously hope you give this one a shot! If you love deep fried chimichanga's, save your arteries and enjoy this happy happy medium I have created for you all!!! :0)

I'll save the best info for last.  This meal as I have prepared it comes in under 500 calories.  120 for the tortilla chips I made.  113 calories for 2 eggroll wrappers.  Roughly 120 calories for the one chicken breast(so cut that in half and you have 60 calories for the two chimichanga's). And I would wrap it up with MAYBE, IF EVEN 150 calories for the guacamole, beans, and corn(per serving).  I am 100% confident this will fill you up, and satisfy your Mexican food cravings!!

Strawberry "cheesecake" bites- Clean Version. Yes!!

My great friend asked me to try and conquer a clean recipe for a cheesecake stuffed strawberry.  I immediately started to research clean substitutes for cream cheese.  After tons of different suggestions, I decided to go with Greek Yogurt as my substitute.  It's very simple actually.  First of all, if you don't know how crazy good for you that Greek yogurt is, do some research.  The benefits alone should encourage you to eat it!(For this recipe I used one small container of Greek yogurt. It was enough for 8-10 strawberries.)
For this dessert bite, go buy you some cheesecloth.  It looks like gauze when you open the package.  But a bigger version.  Ok, got your cheesecloth?  Ok, now get your plain non fat Greek yogurt and spoon onto the cheesecloth.  Tie the cheesecloth around the Greek yogurt and secure with a rubber band, like a pouch for the yogurt.  Now, very important... Find some way to position the Greek yogurt in the cheesecloth to where it's hovering/hanging over a bowl.   Set this in your refrigerator over night or for 10 or so hours during the day.  I used my tongs and tied the cheesecloth up to where it was hanging in between the handles.  I'm handy that way! haha. 
Any how.  After 10 or so hours, the Greek yogurt will strain all the excess liquid out into the bowl, discard this liquid.  It will then look like and have the consistency of cream cheese.

I do apologize I didn't get a picture of my contraption I created to strain the yogurt.  It was quite genius.  But you can figure it out! :)  Ok, next I added 1 tbsp. or so of raw honey. Stir it up.  I am out of pure vanilla extract. However, if you have some, add a dash into this mix. I am 100% it would be delicious!

Yes, that's my kids spoon.  Don't laugh at me.
Now, once you stir this up, core out your strawberries and stuff the berries.  I toasted some pecans with cinnamon on them also and crushed them for the "graham cracker" topping.  Do this! You will be amazed at the similarity to an actual cream cheese/cheesecake stuffed strawberry.  Enjoy!!!

Lasanga worth trying!!

Today was an absolutely perfect day in our household.  Started the day with my sweet hubs cooking us some yummy breakfast burritos.  Followed by some fresh baked cookies from yours truly.  Then we ventured out and went to the park and played our hearts out.  Came home, played again in the back yard.  Sophie had an absolute blast.  It's such a joy watching her discover things for the first time.  This will be the first summer she will be old enough to really enjoy playing outside.  I am so excited :)

I could talk about my kid all day.  But you're here to read about food.  Not Sophie.  If you're my friend on Facebook, you get enough of that!

Ok.  Tonight's dinner and lunch for the next two days is lasagna!  I decided to clean up this recipe for all the people out there who are looking for a lasagna recipe that is in fact cleaner, but not clean.  Most recipes out there that are for a healthy lasagna substitute for all the pasta.. well, that's just not lasagna to me.  I need pasta!!  So, I made a happy medium rendition of this delicious meal.  My method was one layer of pasta, then a layer of zucchini, then pasta, then zucchini, then lastly pasta.  It's a 5 layer lasagna that will knock your socks off.  Now, I have to include, it is a vegetarian lasagna. Meat is not clean, any way you look at it.  That's not to say I won't post meat recipes at some point, but lasagna has cheese in it..enough to make up for losing that meat.  Ok.  Ready for the recipe? *I must note that the nutritional values are going to blow your mind on this one.  They are listed at the very bottom of this blog.   

Ingredients:
9 Whole grain lasagna noodles (Photo below of the brand I prefer)
1 large egg
1 large zucchini sliced long way (you may have to use 2 medium zucchini squash.  I happened to find one huge one) (see below for slicing method)
1/2 cup of skim mozzarella
1 cup of non fat cottage cheese
1/4 cup of fresh basil chopped
2 tbsps. of fresh chopped garlic
1 tsp of salt
1 tsp of pepper
1 tbsp. of garlic powder
1 tbsp. of onion powder
I make my own sauce.  The jarred stuff creeps me out. Too much sodium and junk.
So here's my sauce recipe:
9 roma tomatoes
1 tbsp. of sunflower oil
2 tbsp. of dry oregano
2 tbsp. of dry basil
2 tbsp. of chopped garlic
1 tsp of paprika
1 tsp of salt

Directions:
**For the sauce:  peel and dice the tomatoes, put in a sauce pan.  Cook on low-medium for about 1 hour.  Just to where it's simmering.  Add all other ingredients of course and stir every 10-15 minutes or so.  Continue to cook on low for about another hour.  This recipe makes about 2 and 1/4 cups of sauce.

Directions:
For the lasagna:  Boil a big pot of water and salt it.  Add the 9 lasagna noodles and cook til almost done.
Get your 9x13 casserole dish ready.  Preheat your oven at 350. 
Now. While your noodles are cooking, get a medium size bowl out for the cheese mix.
Add the cottage cheese, 1/4 cup of the mozzarella, basil, the fresh chopped garlic, egg, salt, pepper, onion and garlic powder.  Stir until blended well.
Slice your zucchini up like I mentioned above.  You are about to start the layering process.
Once the noodles are done, take three of them and line the casserole dish.  Then spoon a little of the cheese mixture on each noodle and spread over the noodle, each noodle.  On top of the cheese mixture, add a layer of sauce.  Now, the zucchini layer.  Add 3 of the 6 slices of zucchini on top of each noodle. Repeat each step until you are left with the top layer as a noodle layer.  Now finish off the top with a layer of sauce and the 1/4 cup of mozzarella you set aside earlier.  Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. 

Before:

 

After:



As you can see, we paired our lasagna with a spinach salad.  I encourage you to do the same!

 

Nutritional Values:

 

Calories per serving: 177.17!! yes, that's it!!! (I am a finance major as well as my husband is a finance guru...so these numbers are absolutely accurate:)

6 servings are in this recipe!

Saturated fat: 1.5 g per serving. Yep. So, indulge!

Protein: 13.6 grams of protein per serving!! Craziness! I know. 

 

 

 

5 ways to use that unwanted over ripe banana!

I saw a post this morning on Facebook that caught my attention:  The health benefits of an over ripe banana.  The research done about the over ripe fruit was one that related it to having anti-cancer nutritional qualities.  Now, I have never heard that or looked into the healthy benefits of the over ripe fruit,  I've just simply always looked to it as a natural source of sugar for my baking and smoothie benefit! :0)  So, I knew from that post and the conversations that it peaked in my friends, that I would need to post the uses of this heavenly natural and healthy sugar source!

 

I keep ripe bananas around my house all the time.  I use them for several purposes, but today I will list 5.

1.) Muffins.  I posted my muffin recipe on here yesterday.  I hope you try and enjoy it.  This is just one way I use these treats.  Mash it, and add it to the recipe and boom, sweetness that's natural and won't mess up your waistline!

2.) Smoothies.  I make smoothies every couple of days or so.  I use one banana like above, 1 tbsp. of pb2 or peanut butter if you chose, 1 tbsp. of honey-sometimes, a couple of cubes of ice, and ab 1/4 cup of milk of choice.  Blend it up, Smoothie time! You can add anything to this base recipe for a smoothie..berries, cocoa, cinnamon..whatever!

3.) "Nice"cream.  This is my personal favorite and my husband and toddler love it too! Take this banana, peel it.  Slice it up. Freeze it in a freezer safe bag.  Remove when frozen, add it to the blender along with a dash of milk(1-2 tbsp.), 1 tbsp. of honey-optional, and about 1 tbsp. of cocoa powder. *Blend until creamy like icecream. Boom! Chocolate "nice"cream.  I also substitute the cocoa for cinnamon and it makes amazing cinnamon "nice"cream. It's seriously ridiculous good.  I have also topped this treat off with toasted pecans and my oh my. DE-LISH-US!

4.) Cookies.  I have also posted an oatmeal cookie recipe on my blog.  I would throw this banana in any cookie recipe as the sugar substitute. Any cookie recipe. Easy Breezy and no bad sugar to feel guilty about.

5.) Pancakes.  Seriously...same as before. I have posted a pancake recipe on my blog.  Again, use the banana as a substitute for honey or any sugars from your usual pancake, cookie, muffin recipe instead of wasting it or throwing it away!! Please!

That's it people.  It's that simple. And I'd also like to add these foods don't come out tasting like one big banana something! They will taste like the ingredients you add to them.  The banana is just a base, a substitute for sugar.  I seriously encourage you to all try these ideas.  ESPECIALLY THE NICECREAM. You will  thank me.  :) *I do have a photo of my banana nice cream on my instagram account.  I tried to post it on here, but it won't let me for some reason..

Lastly, check with your grocery store about the ripe bananas being cheaper.  I shop at Kroger, and ripe bananas are usually bunched together with red tape and are significantly cheaper than the under ripe bananas.  This way you can buy your green ones to eat and the slightly over ripe-over ripe bananas for these purposes. 

Cheers everyone! Enjoy!!

What's for breakfast? Muffins!

If you know me, you know that I have a very energetic, needy toddler that requires my attention most of the day. Ha! And if you're a mom, you can relate! But even with the craziness of having a toddler, I have to still feed my family breakfast every single day. Yes, everyday! How dare them require food everyday??!!  Here is my solution to a busy life, but still providing something healthy to eat every morning.  My husband and toddler love this recipe and I love knowing I am giving them something hearty and filling to eat daily.
I also want to express the importance right off that you use whole oats for all of these recipes I post that include oats in the recipe. WHOLE OATS are very different from quick oats and other oats you will find on your shelf at the store.  Here is a photo of the comparison:

Here is my recipe for 6 muffins. This is easy to double. Although, since these have no preservatives like normal flour contains, I recommend eating all of them by day 3 so they don't mold. They tend to lose freshness and quite possibly will mold by day 3.

Now, this is just a base recipe. I will throw anything in these to change the flavor up.

1 cup of whole oats ground into a flour

1/4 cup of whole oats

1 egg

1/4 cup of milk

1 tbsp of cinnamon

1 tsp of baking powder

2 tbsp of melted coconut oil

1/4 cup of pecans or walnuts (optional but recommended)

2 tbsp ground flax seed (optional but recommended)

1 ripe banana

2 tbsp of honey

That's it. This is a basic recipe for a yummy and healthy breakfast muffin. Now, if this comes out a little thick, add tiny increments of milk until you get it into a slightly runny, yet thicker consistency. It should be about the consistency of a cornbread mixture or about twice as thick as a pancake mixture. I hope this helps. I am an all from scratch cook, so it does tend to come out a bit different each time. Most times, I get it right. :)

Throw all this in together. Mix up. Bake at 350 degrees until done. I set my timer for 12 minutes and keep check on them from there. These are usually done in 12-15 minutes. Just do the toothpick test until it's clean.

I have added shredded coconut to top these off. Super delicious and nutritious. I have also used a can of pumpkin puree to these. Pumpkin is extremely high in vitamin A, so I love the stuff. I will use blueberries in this recipe. Just throw them in. If you don't have a ripe banana don't stress. You can easily leave this out. Also, when I do blueberry muffins, I don't use any nuts. I just don't like that flavor combo as much as with the banana muffin and pumpkin muffin.

**Now, when buying the pumpkin, this is important!!! Buy 100% pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. Photo below shows both. Do NOT buy the can on the left. Only the can on the Right. :) Thank you.

Lastly, I have been known to make these as a dessert muffin too by adding some dark chocolate chips and shredded coconut. They are delicious!

Nutritional facts: I sometimes take the time to calculate this up...for this recipe it was easy, so here ya go!

140 calories per muffin

4 g of protein (Women need 46 g a day, Men-56 g, Children-10 g of protein, so this about 11.7% of what a woman needs, and 14.25% of what a man needs)

3 g of sugar per muffin(base recipe above..if you add the chocolate or other ingredients, this will increase of course)

3 g of fat

I am including a link to the nutritional facts for oats. As you see, I use a ton of them!!
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=54


I do not have a completed photo of this muffin because I didn't take a photo before we ate them all, and I just received request I post this recipe now. So, you're on your own. :)
I sincerely hope you enjoy this recipe. It is yet another recipe I made up on a bored afternoon of needing something that my husband can grab, eat and go in the mornings. This also saves me from having to cook him breakfast daily as well as myself and Soph. She LOVES these muffins!

Weekly meals in the Rice house.

Hello everyone.  I hope you have been enjoying my posts and recipes!! I have received an overwhelming response from all my friends and readers!! I love this! I have been asked several times in the past couple of days to post more ideas.  Well, today's post is one that is a true staple in our house...VEGGIE PLATES! Yes.. No special recipe really, but I have two different examples of what I prepare nightly.  I was going to have 4-5 examples for you to follow, but since I've received requests to post asap, I will post what I have. 

When I say veggie plates, I mean VEGGIE PLATES.  No meats.  Only some pastas here and there.  One example in particular I am posting today includes eggrolls. Yes, eggrolls.  If you make them the way I suggest, they are about 15o calories for 2 eggrolls! I sometimes makes eggrolls to go with every meal, every night.  The eggroll wrappers I use are all natural eggroll wrappers and extremely versatile! (picture below) Not only do I make eggrolls with cabbage, onion and carrots inside, but I make the best chicken chimichanga's you'll find! Seriously.  I am saving that post for another day though. Actually, the chimichanga's are on my menu for this weekend, so stay tuned for that post! 

Ok, here is one example of a Veggie plate.  These meals take about 30 minutes total preparation and cooking time. Who doesn't have 30 minutes to make a healthy meal? It seriously can take as little of time that you would take to go to McDonald's or wherever and grab some crappy food. 3o minutes.  Get your kids in the kitchen to help! After all, who can't use more family time in this crazy hectic life we all lead.

 

So, we personally enjoy different salads with our meals.. This night in particular, it consisted of Spinach, avocado, red onions, olives and lemon juice as the dressing. 

 



Here is the completed meal.  Kale and Broccoli were sautéed together in a big pan with just a tiny bit of sunflower oil.  The zucchini was baked for 20 minutes at 350.  Just spear up the zucchini and sprinkle with a tid bit of oil, salt and pepper. Done.  Sautee the veggies for about 20-30 minutes. Done. 

 My  method on the eggrolls is simple.  I finely chop
cabbage, onion, and carrots.  Throw it all in one sauté pan with a tbsp. of sunflower oil, ground ginger(or fresh diced), garlic powder, a dash of salt and pepper, and sraracha! I sometimes throw some honey in with it too. Depends on my mood.  Once the veggie mix is sautéed and softened, remove from heat.  Have your eggroll wrappers ready to be stuffed and folded.  Instructions are on the eggroll wrapper package.  Put about 1 tbsp of oil in your sauté pan and cook on each side until brown all over..as you see above. These babies are going to change your life!  Now, the red sauce you see can be found in the Asian food aisle of your grocery store.  It is red chili sauce.  It's a must. Makes the whole eggroll feel like it's forbidden!  It is 40 calories, no fat, 4 g of sugar per serving(1 tbsp.).  One tbsp. is more than enough for two eggrolls!   I beg of you to buy these eggroll wrappers.  Make this recipe and wait for my next blogs on how to use these heavenly eggroll wrappers. Seriously.  You will NOT regret it!
**This entire meal only has about 400 calories. only 400!!! and hardly any fat. I guarantee you if there's a gram of fat, it's a good one! :)

Now, here is another example of a veggie plate I make often.  Steamed artichoke, Sautéed green beans.  Oven roasted purple potatoes.  Sautéed Red cabbage and an avocado with pico to top it off.  The avocado with pico serves as the salad:) and is super filling.  No real technique required here.  Easy breezy. Like 300-350 calories for this entire meal. Can't beat that!! and incredibly healthy! Enjoy!

Hummus oh Hummus!

Today's recipe/blog is about yummy hummus.  A lot of people aren't familiar with this amazingly healthy food.  We eat it as a snack or with our dinner as an additional side.  I cook a lot of veggie plates in our home, which will be one of my upcoming blogs i.e. examples of different veggie plates to bring into your home.  Anyhow...Hummus is a "bean dip" in essence, but is a traditional Greek menu item mainly. 

Hummus is a Middle Eastern and Arabic food/dip made from chickpeas/garbanzo beans, blended with tahini, oil, lemon juice, salt and garlic.  This is the base of any hummus recipe.  Today it is popular in Middle Eastern, Moroccan, North African cuisines around the globe.
Hummus is actually the Arabic word meaning "chickpeas" interesting enough. 
There are almost too many benefits to consuming this yummy food to include in this blog, so I provided my favorite source of info for the foods I love and research. 

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=58

You will see that Garbanzo beans are an amazing source of fiber which will leave you fuller longer, and keep you from reaching for other fatty foods to satisfy your snack cravings.  I highly recommend trying your hand in making hummus.  Hummus can be rather pricey when purchasing it at the store.  Many prepared hummus dips are upwards to $5 for a small container.  This is why I made the investment in buying tahini(required in all hummus making).  This is an investment because tahini is about $8 for a jar.  But, with that sticker shock hitting you in the face, know that it only requires 2 tbsp. per recipe or per can of garbanzo beans to make hummus. Trust me, it's much much cheaper to  make your own that buy premade.. and healthier because it's always smarter knowing what really and how much exactly of each ingredient goes into your food.  Last bit of info before I share my recipe...Hummus will keep in an air tight container in your fridge for about a week or so. The premade stuff has preservatives to keep it longer, fresh does not. Remember this when weighing your options...make your own with no preservatives, or buy premade, which is soooo much pricier and with tons of stuff you don't recognize. Read your labels people! ok..enjoy:)

 

 

The recipe I am sharing with you is my own taken from many recipes and concocted into my hummus.  I like black olives in my hummus and I then top it with chopped black and green olives at the end. Not pictured in garlic. I always include garlic in my hummus.  Now, there are all sorts of hummus you can make.  Roasted red pepper, garlic, olive, artichoke, spinach, pine nut hummus... But this is your basic recipe with olives added in.  Also, most recipes call for olive oil. I am not a fan of olive oil simply because most you see on the shelf is so processed, it no longer holds the benefits of a good olive oil.  Good olive oil should come in a dark dark bottle, with no light being able to penetrate the bottle and get to the oil.  I use sunflower oil. I love it.

 

 

1 can of garbanzo beans/chick peas

2 tbsp of tahini

1-2 cloves of garlic

1/2 cup of black olives

1 tsp of salt

1 tsp of pepper

1 tbsp. of sunflower oil

2 tbsps of lemon juice(fresh)

2 tbsp. of chopped black olives as garnish

2 tbsp. of chopped green olives as garnish

 

 

That's it! You can also add red pepper flakes to this recipe or the famous sriracha for some intense heat! Know what you're getting into though with that stuff. It's super hot!!

Anyhow, throw all the ingredients in your food processor and process away until it forms into a nice creamy dip.  Then I recommend enjoying with some fresh cut veggies to keep down on fat and calories. I.e. carrots, celery, cucumbers, bell pepper slices...

 



 

Here is your finished product! It is so yummy and so healthy.  You can't go wrong with this food :)

43% Cacao Chocolate Chip Cookies

I titled this one 43% Cacao Chocolate Chip Cookies because I want to make a point about chocolate and the benefits it can hold.  Even with chocolate, these cookies can be considered clean"er" food.  Here's why:

 

*Chocolate contains essential trace elements and nutrients such as iron, calcium and potassium, and vitamins A. B1, C, D, and E.
 

*Cocoa is also the highest natural source for Magnesium. Magnesium deficiency is linked with hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, joint problems and pre-menstrual tension (PMT or PMS). 
 

*It's a fact that plain dark chocolate products containing a minimum 43% or more cocoa solids are the healthiest and the best way to satisfy a craving for chocolate, without consuming too much sugar and saturated fat or HVO. 

The kind of dark chocolate that I buy is a bit pricier, but with that comes better ingredients that allow you to maintain that "cleaner" status to the food.  It does contain sugar, 8 g per tbsp.  Other ingredients are Belgian unsweetened chocolate, cocoa butter, milk fat, vanilla and soy lecithin.  That's it.  Just a few ingredients.  When shopping for this sweet treat I decided to allow in tiny increments, I researched the different bags of chocolate chips at the store.  Other, cheaper chocolates contained a ton of other ingredients that were chemically enhanced and created to taste like chocolate.  Literally twice the amount of ingredients than the bag I purchased.  I feel I made a smart decision, that allows me to keep my love of chocolate in my life.  After all, YOLO right? :) 

Ok..enough information.. You ready for the best "cleaner" chocolate chip cookie you've ever put in that mouth of yours?  Here ya go!

 Ingredients:
3/4 cup of oat flour (grind oats into flour)
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
2 tbsp. of ground flax seeds
1 tbsp. of finely ground espresso beans(I accidentally used hazelnut coffee beans and omg...best happy accident ever!)
1/2 tsp of baking powder
2 tbsp. of honey
1 tbsp. of pb2 or natural peanut butter
1 egg
1/4 cup of 43% cacao dark chocolate chips
1/4 cup pecans(optional but recommended)

Method:
Basically, throw it all in together..All at once! Mix well, then put onto an oiled(coconut oil) cookie sheet and bake for about 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Done! Eat! Enjoy! Yummy!
**Note-these don't mix up like a thick cookie dough. They are kinda runny, but a thick runny..make sense. No? Here's a photo of how they will look raw, before baking.

Be sure to watch these.  All ovens cook at different speeds.  I baked mine for about 9 to 10 minutes and they came out perfect!

One warning I will include, is..Parents, these are caffeinated! They contain the ground espresso beans, so I advise you to either bake these on a night alone or maybe bake an adult version with espresso and a child version with just the chocolate chips. Everyone wins!

See what I mean..
No No Sophie!  :)
(I made her a tiny batch...I'm a sweet mommy!)

Cheers everyone! and enjoy this "cleaner" chocolate chip cookie recipe!