Quick and Easy Turkey Tenderloin

October 19, 2017Leave a comment

Are you burnt out on the same old boneless skinless chicken breast? How about trying out some turkey?

Hold up! Before you leave, I’m not talking about the tasteless, bland ground turkey or the dried out bird from the holidays. I’m talking about turkey tenderloins.

Quick and Easy Turkey Tenderloin

Wait, what? The turkey has a tenderloin?!

The tenderloin is the thick cut of meat from between the breasts. Since that muscle doesn’t get much use, it is more tender than the rest of the bird. I find it is similar to chicken in texture, but with more flavor. And just like chicken, it is highly versatile! Pretty much any recipe that you would use chicken in you can sub with turkey tenderloin. Grill, roast, stir fry, breaded, pan fried, stuffed, you get the idea.

The tenderloin is a quick cooking very lean cut of meat. It has 8% more protein than chicken breast and depending on how you prep it, it can be ready to eat in just a few minutes. 3 ounces of cooked turkey tenderloin has only 120 calories, 1 gram of fat and 26 grams of protein.

The biggest (only?) knock on turkey tenderloin is, just like the whole bird, it does dry out if overcooked. So make sure you use a thermometer. You’ll want to cook it till it reads 160, then let it rest for 10 minutes (to finish cooking).

Below is my favorite super quick and easy way to make it. Be prepared to see more recipes incorporating turkey tenderloin in the coming months. I’m envisioning maybe an Asian inspired stir fry and a fall-ish dish with roasted squash, Brussel sprouts, and pomegranates?

Quick and easy Turkey Tenderloin

2 Lbs. Turkey tenderloin

3 Tb Soy sauce (use Tamari if gluten Free)

1 Tb Dijon Mustard

2 tsp Poultry seasoning (or rosemary, sage and thyme)

1/2 tsp Garlic powder

1 tsp Salt

Preheat broiler to high, and move rack to 4 inches below heat.
Remove turkey from packaging and blot dry with paper towels. Place on a cooking sheet lined with foil.
Season meat liberally with salt and garlic powder.
In a small bowl mix soy sauce, Dijon mustard and herbs.
Pour half sauce over the turkey. Flip turkey and pour on the rest.
Insert thermometer in middle of the tenderloin.
Place in oven and broil for approximately 20 minutes, flipping half way through cooking
Remove turkey from oven when it reaches 160 and move to cutting board and let rest for 10 mins.

how to

Low Carb, High Protein Make-ahead Zucchini Fritters.

September 8, 2017September 8, 2017Leave a comment

Need an easy grab and go breakfast when the morning rush got you like whoa? I got you covered with these make ahead low carb high protein zucchini fritters.

These zucchini fritters make for an easy on the go breakfast option.

These make-ahead zuke fritters are not only great straight out of the pan they are also pretty delicious cold from the fridge the next day. (And the day after that too!)

You can eat them as they are (may I reccomend a sprinkle of salt and dash of hot sauce?) or as a bun for a sausage patty. I personally eat them alone, one handed. Usually while rushing to get my oldest to the bus stop on time.

They can make a nice lunch too. As an accompaniment to a BAS salad or bowl of soup.

My favorite part of them is their volume. One serving is eight fritters. Yes, EIGHT! They make me feel like I am eating much more than I am, helping to keep my full for hours. If 8 fritters seems like too much for you, no problem! Just have a half serving.

Alright, let’s get to it:

Low Carb, High protein Zucchini Fritters

2 Tb coconut flour
5 eggs
3 TB egg white
¼ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp onion
¼ tsp black pepper
½ tsp salt
3 large zucchinis, grated (should be about 4 cups)

After grating the zucchini, using a paper towel squeeze out the excess water. (The drier you can get it the better).
Using a whisk (or fork) beat the eggs, whites, coconut flour, garlic powder, onion powder and salt and pepper. (The coconut flour will want to clump, just keep whisking).
Heat a large skillet over med high heat and spritz with cooking spray.
Using a ¼ cup OR an ice cream scoop, scoop and put in hot pan. Light press them out, into a 4 in pancake. (my skillet can only hold 4 at a time, so plan to be batch cooking).
Cook for 3-4 mins per side.
When done, set on paper towel to cool. If storing, wait till fully cooled. Blot again with paper towel and store in fridge for 3-4 days.

Makes 16 4 inch fritters.

Nutrition for 8 (YES, that’s right I said EIGHT fritters): Calories: 260 Fat:14g Carbs: 12g Protein: 22g

Inspired by Zucchini Pancakes in Practical Paleo by Diane Sanfilippo.

5 Minute Double Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting

July 24, 20171 Comment

For the next few Mondays, I will be sharing different high protein mug cake recipes, because sometimes Mondays just need some cake!

Double chocolate mug cake w/ PB frosting

Chocolate cake in just 5 mins!

Mug cakes are just that, a cake made in a large coffee mug!

To keep the protein high in these I use Kodiak Powercakes Mix, it has 14 grams of protein per serving and can be found at major grocery stores (including Costco, Target and Amazon).

You can use any pancake mix you want (including gluten free. I have even made these with Enjoy Life’s pancake mix). Just know different mixes will change the nutrition.

Now for that cake…

5 min Double Chocolate Mug Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting

Cooking spray
½ cup Kodiak Cake Power Mix
1 Tb Cocoa powder
2 tsp coconut sugar (any sweetener of choice will work here)
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp coconut oil
¼ cup unsweetened cashew milk (can use any unsweetened milk)
¼ tsp vanilla
2 TB mini chocolate chips
2 Tb PB2 (defatted dried peanut butter)
1.5 Tb water

Spray an extra-large microwave safe mug liberally with cooking spray.
In mug, mix Kodiak Cake mix, Cocoa, sugar, salt and cinnamon.
In a separate dish warm the cashew milk and coconut oil in the microwave (the oil should be melted but not boiling)
Add the vanilla to the warm milk. Stir.
Gently pour the liquids into the mug and stir gently. Mix till just combined (Do not over stir, or it will be tough.)
Fold in chocolate chips
Microwave at 75% power for 90 seconds. Let stand in the microwave for 1 min.
While that nukes, mix the PB2 and water. Use as much water as you need to make a frosting like consistency.
Gently side a knife around the edges of the cake and dump it on to a plate
Frost with peanut butter frosting
EAT CAKE!

Nutrition for the whole dang thing:

335 calories, 48 grams carbs, 9 grams fat, 20 grams protein

Deconstructed Taco Salad Bowl with an Avocado Lime Dressing (Dairy Free, Wheat Free, Egg Free, Paleo Friendly)

May 4, 2017Leave a comment

Let’s get straight to the point; tacos are delicious. The problem with tacos is not only can they can be calorically dense but they also tend to be lacking in the vegetable department. One way to combat this: turn your tacos into a deconstructed taco salad bowl.

Taco salad bowl with a dairy free and egg free avocado lime dressing.

Even with the bowls, however, you have to watch those toppings. Sour cream, cheddar cheese, avocado and the deep fried shell all add up fast.

Here are a few ways you can lighten up your taco bowl:

Replace deep fried high fat shell with homemade chips (if paleo, replace with plantain chips.)
Replace multiple high fat toppings with an avocado-lime dressing.
Replace high sodium taco seasoning with homemade.
And add in lots of veggies.

Homemade tortilla chips have less fat and carbs then store bought chips.

To assemble your bowls, just fill with whatever veggies you have in your fridge. I like a mix of romaine and spinach. Then I throw in some tomatoes, cucumber, sugar snap peas (for that crunch!), bell peppers, green onions. Add meat of your choice. I used ground beef for this one, but flank steak or chicken breast with some tex mex seasoning goes great (Check out my tex mex seasoning on Instagram here). Drizzle some avocado lime dressing over it, maybe a little pico de gallo or salsa and grab a handful of homemade chips. And there you have it, a healthier more satisfying version of your standard taco.

Recipes

For the chips:

Corn tortillas

Spray coconut oil

Salt

Preheat oven to 350.
Cut tortillas into triangles or strips
Spritz with oil and sprinkle with salt.
Cook for 8-10 mins. Keep an eye on them, they can burn quickly.

Taco Meat:

2 pounds extra lean ground beef or turkey.

½ onion finely diced.

3 garlic cloves

1 Tb cumin

2 tsp chili powder

2 tsp paprika

1 tsp oregano

2 tb tomato paste

1 cup tomato sauce

In a large, deep sided skillet brown the meat. Breaking it up into small pieces. Add onion garlic and seasonings. Cook till onion is soft and translucent.
Cover and cook on med low for 1/2 hour. Taste and add salt and spices as needed. (This recipe is kid friendly so it is very mild.)

For the Avocado lime dressing:

1/3 cup nondairy plain unsweetened creamer (I used the Nutpod brand, but you can replace with a mixture of coconut milk and nut milk.)

1 avocado

1 bunch of cilantro

1/2 tsp salt

2 cloves garlic

2 scallions

1 tb olive oil

juice from 1 lime.

Throw everything into the blender and blend till nice and creamy. You may need to add a few tablespoons water to thin it out to desired consistency.

THE NEW YOU

Overnight Chia Seed Pudding, plus 4 flavor variations

January 31, 2017Leave a comment

My overnight oats happen to be one of my most popular recipes. However, we don’t always need that high amount of carbs in the morning. I set out to create something similar with a lower carb content. I realized there are lots of savory lower carb breakfast dishes out there, but not as many sweet ones.

Vanilla Almond Blueberry Overnight Chia seed pudding with a dollop of cashew cream

Now do not get me wrong, carbs are not bad. I am not low carb, anti carb or anything of the like. (I actually love carbs, but that is another article for another time) Sometimes, however, we do need some lower carb choices. (FYI these are not LOW CARB recipes, just LOWER carb)

Here is an example of a handful of times when I might encourage lower carb meals:

During carb cycling. Carb cycling is when someone consumes a higher amount of carbs 2-3 days a week and a lower amount of carbs on the remaining days. (I personally carb cycle, and need a lower carb option for my low carb days.)
When stacking carbs around workouts: For many people consuming their vast amount of carbs either before or after their workouts is helpful from both a performance and aesthetic perspective.
Ladies in menopause/perimenopause. Sorry ladies, but as we enter menopause we can no longer tolerate the same amount of carbohydrates due to dropping estrogen and its effects on insulin.
Carb back loading, that is when someone saves the majority of their carbs for later in the day.The belief by consuming in the evening hours you are more likely to store the carbohydrates as glycogen instead of fat. (This premise also requires evening workouts)
When people who have a lower threshold for carbs. We all have our own individual amount of carbs that we do best with. (The trick is figuring out your own threshold. You really need to find the highest amount you can eat, without gaining fat mass)

The basis for these recipes is chia seeds. If you are not familiar with chia seeds, do you remember chia pets? Yep those hair like sprouts were growing from chia seeds. When chia seeds are mixed with a liquid they form a gel like substance, which is what gives these puddings their pudding like consistency. Chia seeds are very high in fiber, contain a decent amount of calcium and magnesium and provide some omega-3 ALA. Due to their very high fiber content, they can help to keep you feeling full and stratified for a long period time, which is part of what makes them great for breakfast.

Chocolate Peanut butter Overnight Chia Seed Pudding

Since I needed different options for different people I came up with these sweet chia seed puddings. These bad boys work much like my overnight oats. Put everything in a small mason jar, stir really good, and let it sit overnight (up to 5 days). Save the toppings (especially the fruit) to throw on top right before you eat them. I experimented with some cashew cream for the first time and it goes really (REALLY) well with some of the flavors, especially the vanilla-almond-blueberry.

Blackberry Overnight Chia Seed Pudding

I made these puddings with Fairlife* milk to help keep the protein content up, but they still need a little more protein with them if they are to be consumed with breakfast. You can add a side of egg whites, lean breakfast sausage, Canadian bacon, ½ a protein shake or whatever your little heart desires (just keep it lean).

*Fairlife milk is un ultra-filtered dairy milk. It contains 6 grams carbs 13 grams protein, instead of the 12 grams carbs and 8 grams protein found in standard skim dairy milk. You can replace this with any milk of your choice, just note it will change the macros. I highly recommend choosing something high in protein, like a ½ scoop protein powder

It almost feels wrong eating these for breakfast, since they are so decadent. If you are not a sweets for breakfast kind of person these also make a great mid-day snack or before bed sweet (yes you can eat before bed, and many actually would benefit from eating before bed).

Go ahead and make these delicious treats and let me know what you think.

Chocolate-Matcha Raspberry Overnight Chia seed Pudding

Chocolate-Matcha Raspberry

2 Tb Chia seeds

½ cup nonfat Fairlife milk

1 tsp maple syrup

1 Tb cacao or unsweetened dark cocoa powder

¼ tsp vanilla extract

1/8 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp matcha

toppers:

raspberries

Place all ingredients, except for the toppers, in a mason jar and stir very well. Making sure to incorporate all the chia seeds. Place top on it, and store in fridge overnight and up to 5 days. When planning to eat, give a good stir and add any desired toppers.

1 serving contains: 231 calories, 10 g fat, 26 g carbs, and 12 g protein

Blackberry

Blackberry Overnight Chia Seed Pudding

2 Tb Chia seeds

½ cup nonfat Fairlife milk

1 tsp honey

¼ tsp vanilla extract

toppers:

1 Tb no sugar blackberry jam (like Simply Fruits)

blackberries

1 serving contains 240 calories, 8 g fat, 30 g carbs, 11 g protein

Vanilla-Almond-Blueberry

Vanilla Almond Blueberry Overnight Chia seed pudding with a dollop of cashew cream

2 Tb Chia seeds

½ cup nonfat Fairlife milk

1 tsp maple syrup

¼ tsp vanilla extract

toppers:

chopped almonds

dollop of cashew cream (see recipe below)

blueberries

1 serving contains 286 calories, 15 g fat 25 g carb and 14 g protein

Chocolate Peanut Butter

Chocolate Peanut butter Overnight Chia Seed Pudding

2 Tb Chia seeds

½ cup nonfat Fairlife milk

1 tsp maple syrup

1 Tb cacao or unsweetened dark cocoa powder

¼ tsp vanilla extract

toppers

2 tb PB2 (or another defatted powdered peanut protein) mixed with 1 tb water

cacao nibs

1 serving contains 264 calories, 24 g of carbs, 12 g fat, and 16 g protein

Cashew cream

1 cup raw unsalted cashews

½ cup water

1 tb maple syrup (or honey)

vanilla

Cover cashews in boiling water for 15 minutes. Drain and rinse. Place in blender with remaining ingredients and blend till smooth and creamy. Store in fridge for up to 1 week.

1 serving is 1 Tablespoon and contains 53 calories, 4 g fat, 4 g carbs and 2 g protein

stephhayes-com

Chicken, Bacon and Potato Soup

January 24, 2017Leave a comment

This is a perfectly warm and comforting soup, without all the carb and fat you usually get in a potato bacon soup. It’s is so light you probably will still be able to have some crusty bread with it (if you are into that sort of thing). However, I felt the soup was plenty filling without the bread. The high protein content (35 grams per serving) helps keep you feeling full and satisfied while still being low in fat and carbs.

Comforting chicken, potato and bacon soup.

Make sure to use bone in chicken thighs. The bone helps keep the meat tender and not dried out. If you can’t find any bone in thighs with the skin already removed, just remove it yourself. Slip you finger between the skin and the meat, and tear off. It can be slippery; I find grabbing the skin with a paper towel helps. Using kitchen shears, cut off any remaining hunks of skin or fat. Before serving, you will gently remove the thighs with a slotted spoon. They will start to fall apart so you have to be gently. Remove the bones and any cartilages and return to the slow cooker.

The whole recipe only takes 4 hours in the slow cooker on low. Unfortunately, you do need to tend to it after 2 hours (to throw the potatoes in). But it is a great meal to make when you are going to be busy in the house doing other things.

Chicken, Bacon and Potato Soup

4 bacon slices, chopped

2 pounds bone-in chicken thighs, remove the skin.

½ tsp garlic powder

½ tsp onion powder

½ tsp oregano

½ kosher salt

2 large leeks, thinly sliced

4 carrots sliced

4 celery stalks, sliced

4 cups unsalted chicken stock

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

5 thyme sprigs

12 ounces baby potatoes

2 huge handfuls baby spinach

Cook bacon in a large skillet, till nice and crispy. Remove bacon and set aside. Leave the bacon fat in the pan
Season chicken thighs with seasonings (garlic powder, onion powder, oregano and salt) Place in skillet and brown. Approximately 4 minutes per side. Remove and place in slow cooker.
Add carrot, leek and celery to pan and sauté for 5 mins. Then move to slow cooker.
Add chicken stock and bacon to slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 2 hours.
After 2 hours add potatoes and cook on low for another 2 hours.
Remove chicken and pull meat from the bone. Shred and put back in slow cooker. Add spinach and salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy!

Nutrition Info for 1/6 the recipe: 256 calories 7 grams fat, 15 grams carbs, 35 grams protein

Inspired by a recipe in Cooking Light Magazine.

Brownie Balls (Vegan, Wheat Free and Paleo Friendly)

January 17, 20171 Comment

Chocolate can easily be part of a healthy diet. Also, regularly including some chocolate in your diet may help you from bingeing on it down the road. If you would like to learn more about chocolate, and how to include it in your healthy diet go check out this article here. Then make sure you come back and learn about how to make these decadent chocolatey brownie balls.

These vegan, wheat free, Paleo friendly brownie balls were quite the hit with my whole family. They are rich enough, that one can satisfy a sweet tooth without completely ruining your calories or macros. Honestly, they taste like raw brownie dough, just without the whole raw egg thing.

Wheat free, vegan, paleo friendly Brownie Balls

While are delicious fresh, I like to keep mine in the freezer. Not only do they keep longer this way, but also I am less likely to over indulge in them. Out of sight, out of mind.

If you don’t want to make your own almond paste for this recipe, you could use pre-made almond butter. I really recommend grinding up your own almond paste for this though, it tastes better and has a better consistency. Plus, you’ll already be using your food processor.

Almond Paste. It is not processed all the way to butter consistency.

Brownie balls (Wheat Free, Vegan Paleo Friendly )

1.5 cups almonds, raw unsalted

½ cup hazelnuts

12 whole Medjool Dates

2 tsp vanilla extract

3-4 tb water

½ tsp kosher salt

½ cup cocoa powder

Preheat oven to 350 and lay almonds on one half of a tray and hazelnuts on the other half. Do not mix them up. Roast in oven for 10 mins. Keep a close eye on them. The hazelnuts may be done before 10 mins is up.
Once roasted, place hazelnuts in a kitchen towel. Rub them with the towel, using the friction to remove the skins. Then place all but 20 hazelnuts in a food processor. Pulse till coarsely chopped. Remove to a small bowl and set aside.
While the almonds are still warm place in food processor, and process till it is almond paste. (not quite almond butter state). It will still thick like paste, not thin and runny like almond butter.
Add dates and pulse in food processor until paste like.
Add cocoa powder, vanilla extract, salt and just 3 tablespoons water. Process till combined, you may need to add an additional tablespoon of water to get it well combined.
Using a melon baller or tablespoon, scoop out a portion, and roll it around one of the whole hazelnuts. Then roll the ball in the chopped hazelnuts.
They are perfect as they are or store them in the freezer.

Makes 20 balls. Nutrition info for 1 ball: 127 calories, 7 grams fat, 15 grams carbohydrate and 3 grams protein.

Inspired by a recipe for Cooking Light Magazine and my gal Emma over at Betterwithcake.com

vegan-wheat-free

Quick and Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup

January 6, 20172 Comments

I don’t know about where you are, but it is FINALLY cold here in North Texas. Like cold enough it is snowing! Ok they are just flurries. (I will always be a Midwesterner at heart). Cold weather means soup time. This Chicken Tortilla soup one of my all-time favorite soup recipes. Mainly for the fact it only takes 20 minutes while still being healthy and satisfying.

There are two time saving short cuts in this recipe. The first is, instead of baking up chicken to use, just grab a rotisserie from your local grocery store. I liked to drain off all the extra fat when I get home and remove the skin. If it’s cool enough, I remove all the meat. For this recipe all you need is the breast meat (skin removed) so save the extra meat from the thigh, legs and wings for adding into salads.

The second time saver is using the blender instead of having it simmer all day long. Throwing it in the blender or using an immersion blender will give a a great texture without having to cook it for a long period of time. Please note, if using a blender do not place the clear plastic filler cup on the lid. Leave the middle hole open. When you blend it, place a tea towel over the hole to let the steam escape.

Instead of using tortilla chips for the topping, we are baking our own using fresh tortillas. Don’t worry it only takes 10 minutes and they are lower in fat and tastier too! I am big fan of baking up my own tortilla chips, that way I don’t have a big open bag laying around tempting me. I just bake as many as needed.

Quick and Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup

2 Carrots, chopped
1 Green Bell Pepper, chopped
1 onion chopped
1 Tb olive oil
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes, NOT drained
4 cups chicken broth
¼ cup Corn Meal
3/4 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp, chili powder.
1 tsp, Ground Cumin
½ tsp oregano
½ tsp paprika
½ garlic powder
1 avocado
green onions
cilantro
8 tortillas, Tortillas
Chicken breast from rotisserie chicken, skin removed. (approx. 12 oz)
1/2 cup frozen corn

Preheat oven to 350. Cut corn tortillas into ½ inch strips. Light spritz with cooking spray and salt. Cook for 10 minutes till crispy but not burnt.
In a large pot heat oil. Cook onion, green bell and carrots till starting to soften. About 8 minutes.
Dump in diced tomatoes and chicken broth. Bring to a bowl.
Add in the corn meal and approx. ¼ of the crunchy corn tortillas.
Add in salt, chili powder, cumin, oregano and garlic powder.
Carefully pour entire soup pot into a blender or use an immersion blender. Blend till smooth. **If using a blender, when placing the top in the blender do not insert the plastic fill cup. Leave the hole open in the lid and hold a tea towel over the lid. This is very important; it allows the steam to escape. Otherwise it will blow up on you and you will have a steamy hot mess! **
Shred chicken breasts.
Return to soup pot and add in chicken and frozen corn. Reheat till warm. And top individual bowls with diced avocado, crunchy tortilla strips, green onion and cilantro.
Enjoy!

Makes approximately 6 servings. Each serving is about 1 ½ cups and has: 278 calories, 9 grams of fat, 29 grams of carbohydrates and 22 grams protein.

chicken-tortilla-soup

Stress free Beef Gyro Bowl

December 15, 2016December 15, 20161 Comment

This is another quick and easy recipe when you don’t feel like cooking. I like to keep this one on my menu during chaotic weeks when I don’t want to stress myself out any more. Like, I don’t know, the holiday season? It is basically just seasoned ground beef, topped with veggies and some tzatziki. Not only is this recipe stress free it is also high in protein and relatively low in carbs!

Tzatziki made with greek yogurt

If you are not familiar with tzatziki, it’s a cold sauce or dip made from yogurt. The recipe will make more tzatziki then you need for these gryo bowls. Save it, don’t toss it! There are so many ways to eat it. As a dip for crackers or veggies. Or it goes great with just about any meat.

These gyro bowls are able to be customized to meet your needs. Need some carbs? Serve over rice. Need more protein? Serve over quinoa. Neither? Serve over cauliflower rice or spinach. I personally prefer a mixture of quinoa and spinach.

The tzatziki does take some time since it needs to be prepared ahead of time. Everything else,however, comes together in 20 minutes! You can make the tzatziki ahead of time. (I’ve kept mine if the fridge for a couple days. I have no idea if will last longer than that since I usually eat it all my then!)

Beef Gyro Bowl over quinoa and spinach.

Top these bowls with whatever veggies you are feeling like. I use whatever I have hiding out in my fridge. I imagine some beets and radishes would go pretty well on this! If making this for little ones (or picky adults), just exclude things their palates might not like (in my house I leave the olives and red onions off the kids bowls)

Tzatziki

Makes 4 huge servings or more, smaller ones if you are not as obsessed as me.

16 oz 2% or whole fat plain greek yogurt. (Don’t use nonfat it will be too runny)

1 large cucumber, peeled seeded and diced

1 tb lemon juice

1 tb red wine vinegar

1 tb olive oil

4 cloves garlic minced or pressed

1 tsp dried dill

Seed the cucumber by cutting it in half and using a spoon to scrap the seeds out of the middle. Dice it as small as you have the patience for.
Toss the cucumber with kosher salt and place in a strainer. Fill a large gallon sized bag fil with ice and place on top and let it sit for at least an hour.
In the meantime, mix all remaining ingredients.
Remove cucumber and using cheese cloth or thick paper towel squeeze out any excess liquid.
Mix with yogurt mixture and adjust salt and pepper to taste
Set in fridge for at least on hour.

Gyro Bowls

Makes 4 servings

1 lb 95% lean ground beef

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried rosemary

1 tsp kosher salt

½ tsp garlic granules (or minced fresh garlic if you wish)

2 cups spinach

½ cup quinoa (omit if using rice or cauliflower rice)

1 cucumber, peeled and sliced

½ cup red bell pepper, sliced

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

¼ cup red onion, diced

¼ cup Kalamata olives

¼ cup chopped walnuts.

1.Cook quinoa (or rice) according to package.

2.Season beef with oregano, rosemary and salt and pepper. Brown over medium heat and drain off any fat.

3.Place ¼ cup quinoa in each bowl. Top with ¼ of the ground beef. Add spinach, cucumber, red bell, tomatoes, red onion. Top each bowl with ½ cup tzatziki (less if you are not a freak about it like I am), 1 tb Kalamata olives and 1 tb walnuts.

Enjoy!

Nutrition for ¼ the amount plus ½ cup tzatziki

Calories: 379 Carbs: 24 Fat: 14 Protein: 38

Inspired by a recipe from Clean Eating Magazine.

quick-and-easy-beef-gyro-bowls

30 Minute Spaghetti Squash with Shrimp

December 6, 2016December 6, 2016Leave a comment

I am not anti carbs or anti pasta by any means, but sometimes you need a nice satisfying lower carb meal option. Especially this time of year when there is an overabundance of carb rich food everywhere you look. That is where spaghetti squash comes in. In can be a great replacement for traditional noodles.

Let’s keep something straight though, spaghetti squash does not taste exactly like noodles. It has a little (non offensive) vegetal taste and it has a little more crunch to it then traditional noodles. Don’t get me wrong it is still delicious. I just don’t want anyone to make it and expect it to taste like regular wheat noodles and be disappointed.

One cup of spaghetti squash has only 42 calories and 10 grams of carbohydrates compared to once cup of traditional cooked noodles that have 221 calories and 43 grams of carbohydrates. Making spaghetti squash a great substitute when you are trying to lower the overall calorie or carb amount of your meal (or you would rather get all those calories/carbs from somewhere else).

When it comes to cooking the squash there are many different ways you can do it. You can roast it in the oven, put it in the slow cooker or microwave it. Microwaving is my personal favorite. It is quick and it makes cutting it easy. No more failing around the kitchen with it stuck to end of your knife while you slam it on the counter. (Please tell me I’m not the only one who has done that?!)

When you microwave it, make sure you stab it all over with a fork. That will release the steam and prevent it from becoming a bomb in your microwave. For a 2 ½ pound squash, it will need to cook for about 14 minutes. Turning over halfway through. If your squash is larger it will need more time. It is done when the outer skin is soft and easily pierced. After that, DO NOT take it out of the microwave. Leave it in there, for another 10 minutes. It will continue to steam on the inside. (This is a great time to prep the rest of your meal.)

Cutting the squash in half width wise leads to longer noodles.

Once the 10 minutes is up, carefully remove the squash, it will still be hot. Cut it in half width wise, not length wise like you have always been told! When you cut it width wise you get nice long noodles, not the 2 inch ones. Gently scrape out the seeds and any loose pulp. Since it is already cooked, you will not have to put too much man power into this. Using a fork, gently pull the flesh out into a bowl and separate into strands.

If you don’t want to microwave it, you can cook it in the oven. Cut the squash in half, scoop out the seeds and place in a pan cut side down. Place a small amount of water around the squash and bake at 400 for 35-45 mins. Alternatively, you can cook it in your slow cooker too. I have, however, yet to try this method. You need to pierce it all over with a fork and place whole in your slow cooker on low for 6-8 hrs. It’s is done when it can be easily pierced with a knife.

Just about anything you can do with regular noodles you can do with spaghetti squash. However, I prefer something lighter, like garlic, olive oil with shrimp. In this recipe I used precook frozen shrimp because that it what I had on hand. You also could sub out precooked chicken breast. spaghetti-squash

Garlic Lemon Shrimp on top of Spaghetti Squash with Garlic and Olive Oil.

For the squash:

2 ½ pound spaghetti squash

2 Tb Olive oil

2 cloves Garlic, minced

¼ cup shredded parmesan

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp kosher salt

For the Shrimp:

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tb Olive oil

1.4 cup fresh lemon juice

½ tsp kosher salt

¼ tsp black pepper

1 ¼ precooked, defrosted peeled and deveined shrimp.

Prick the squash all over with a fork. And microwave for 6 minutes. Turnover and microwave for another 8 minutes. Let continue to steam in microwave for another 10 minutes.
While squash is cooking make the shrimp. Place garlic and oil in a large skillet and cook over medium heat for 1 minute. Add lemon juice, salt and pepper. Toss with Shrimp (or precooked chicken) and set aside.
When squash is done steaming, remove from microwave. Cut in half width wise and remove seeds. Using a fork pull out the flesh and separate into strands.
In the same skillet used to cook the shrimp heat the olive oil. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Careful not to burn the garlic.
Add red pepper flakes (If make this for kids, you may want to omit this step. And top individually with red pepper) cook for 1 more minute.
Add cooked squash and toss. Season with salt and parmesan.
Toss in prepared shrimp. And serve.

Nutritional info for 5 shrimp and 1/4 the spaghetti squash

Calories: 297 Fat:13 Carbs:20 Pro:24

Adapted from Spaghetti Squash in Gina Homolka’s Skinnytaste Fast and Slow Cookbook.